After student’s suicide, questions for a school

The suicide of Matthew Burdette is a terribly sad story. The 14-year-old University City High School student killed himself Nov. 29 after being bullied and teased for two weeks over a video that went viral, which allegedly showed the boy in a school bathroom stall.

One of the most appalling consequences of the rise of social media in our everyday lives has been the way it serves as a force multiplier for the casual cruelty that immature young people dish out to those who don’t conform, who are perceived as weak or who are caught doing something embarrassing.

In this case, Matthew’s parents — Timothy and Barbara Burdette — didn’t even learn of what plunged him into depression and despair until after his death, when classmates reportedly alluded to the video in condolence notes after a memorial service.

The boy who took the video of Matthew has a juvenile court hearing July 23. But the Burdettes say the San Diego Unified School District also bears blame, and the family appears likely to sue for damages. The district rejected their claim for $1 million in May.

School officials may end up regretting that decision. According to Matthew’s classmates, the video was widely distributed at University City High School and on other campuses. If any teacher, administrator or other school employee was aware of this — as certainly seems possible — of course his family should have been told what was going on.

If they had known about the video and the vicious bullying, they could have given their son the emotional support he desperately needed. If that had happened, there’s a good chance Matthew Burdette would still be alive.